hulio516

I took my Top Flite P-40 Warhawk to the flying field last night and the only other person there was the club president, better known as "ratchet-jaw". He had just landed his Kadet LT-40 as I was pulling in. I unloaded my warhawk and sat it on the bench and prepared to get ready for a flight. After I got it ready I sat in a chair to relax for a moment before my flight and he sat down beside me and talked about everything from politics to religion (and nothing about RC). After my ears got tired of hearing his "BS" and the oil spill in the gulf, I decided the only way to shut him up was to fly my plane.

I fired it up, taxied out to the runway and away she went. I thought, this sure is nice flying my plane and not having to listen to all that "BS" I just heard. Now I can really concentrate on some new manuvers with my warhawk since I'm on the flight line flying and I left him sitting in his chair when low and behold as I was making a low inverted pass I turned as the plane went by and my antenna nudged into who else but the guy I left sitting in the chair! I told him I think your in my way so he stepped back a moment. I took one step forward to avoid this happening again. Now he's behind me talking about his new computer he got and how he sets his password (like I really give a shi?) !!! (PLEASE! I'm trying to fly my plane!) Before you know it he's right beside me again asking me what kind of gas milage I get in my vehicle and what route I take to get to the flying field along with a ton of other questions (non rc). Now I'm starting to get a little upset since each step I take forward he steps right along with me with more BS I really don't want to hear about when I am flying my plane. I decided it was time to land my plane and just get out of there.

I wish I would have just stayed home!

Doe's anyone ever annoy "you" while you are trying to fly?

I'd like to know,

hulio

G.Barber

My Feedback: (1)

Sometimes, you just have to tell the offending party not to talk while you're flying. I've been known to do that if a person just doesn't take a hint.

MinnFlyer

My Feedback: (4)

Repeat after me:

"Please, don't talk to me while I'm flying"

Say it with more meaning than politeness.

Then, after the flight, just say,

"Sorry bud, but I need every ounce of my concentration when I'm flying. I can't listen to you and fly at the same time."

And if he's the "rachet-jaw" you claim he is, you can add, "You know, as Club president you should know how dangerous it is to distract someone when they are flying"

G.Barber

My Feedback: (1)

That's exactly what I meant! In fact, I did something similar to my son last night. He started saying as I was flying, "I don't mean to bug you..." and I just cut him off and said "Then don't!"
He got the point, and I asked him what he wanted to say after I landed. Now, I love him very much, but when we're on the flight line, I need him to understand and follow the rules as well as all the other club members. It's all about SAFETY!

cold_reboot

My Feedback: (20)

The best thing about living in the middle of nowhere like I do? Mow my own runway in any number of the family owned livestock pastures surrounding my house and not worry about distractions, dues, fees, nit picking, "ratchet-jaws" or slack jawed mouth breathers.

ShaneLittle

LOL...Rachet-Jaw!!

hulio516

Some people talk all day and never say a thing. Not anything I'm interested in listening to anyhow.

hulio

ShaneLittle

I hear ya man. That cracked me up tho!

Ttam Says Blarg

You can probably tell from my sig that I have been playing with rc cars more than planes. I can deal with people talking to me when Im bashing around with my cars but when flying a plane its no go. I have had only one time that my friend was trying to be a "back seat driver" I told him to shut up.

Lnewqban

I understand the discussed point, as I have also suffered alike situations.

However; BS, annoying people, dangerous pilots, inconsiderate guys, the peanut gallery, etc, etc., are and will be part of most clubs' life, just like paying dues, mowing the grass and attending meetings.

We all know we should dedicate time and energy to those activities.
We could be hermit crabs, grumpy and anti-social while we fly our models, or just stay home (as the thread's tittle suggests), but that is not fun,....and sooner or later we will need the help, advice or support of those club members.

We can avoid people, but we should not disrespect people.
We don't join a club to make friends necessarily, but we should not make enemies either.

Being talkative, like the friendly president of the story, is less dangerous than stepping in and flying from the middle of the runway while you are flying, or cutting you off for landing with an electric plane that you cannot hear after you have called for landing, or revving up an engine at 15K forever next to your station.

Just accept those things as unavoidable part of the enjoyment of the hobby, and try to have a positive attitude.
We can be tolerant with the little things as we can be firm about safety and important staff.

Here is the balance: open your door to others, be helpful, be respectful, don't be afraid or shy about claiming your rights, keep your ground talking clearly and firmly to people while looking into the eye, don't fly when angry, be safe, don't stay home,...........and mostly,….. enjoy your planes and others’!!!

shaggy48

Yeah I know the feeling. I too find that I need all my concentration to fly most times. And some people at the field just don't realize it so they do things that I find distracting. But the key here they most likely just don't know that all that jabbering is distracting you. And that you'd rather they didn't do it. So I'm guessing your club President just doesn't know. You should try to tell him. And if he's worth anything he'll understand and comply without taking offense.

The guys I fly with, I tell them I need the whole darn sky to fly! I say it in jest but they understand I just get very nervous sometimes and I need to concentrate to get my fingers to do what my mind tells em to. So unless they're just giving me pointers here and there, like telling me the wind has changed direction for landing etc, they pretty much let me fly. I find this is almost more fun than having 3 planes in the air at the same time. We get to watch each other and help each other start up and tune and such and rarely is the conversation on anything not related to flying. But just yapping about about unrelated stuff while I'm flying would drive me up the wall. Not sure I could have not said something to him to get my point across.

But unless there's a crash, it almost always better to have gone flying...

Shaggy

mclina

I have had visitors park their cars and walk over and talk to me while flying, and I quickly tell them I cannot talk while in the air. I can't believe a club president would be that dumb. I don't think I have ever seen a club member talk to a pilot while in the air, unless they were working on sorting out a plane.

I am not a rude guy, but I would have been pretty intolerant of that guy. On the ground, I will listen to anybody talk about anything, but not while in the air.

jeffie8696

Idont think anyone should be offended if you told them you cant talk and fly at the same time. Hell Icant walk and chew bubblegum at the same time.

Charlie P.

Boy, I think after the first bump with the antenna and a polite: "Excuse me, trying to fly here" the second comment out of my mouth would have been: "Hey! Shut up!"

jester_s1

I must be in a great club, because all of our guys know how to act when someone is trying to fly. I think if that happened I would just have to politely say, "How about let's talk when I'm done flying, ok?"

MetallicaJunkie

maybe it wasnt such a good idea to mention it here...he may read the forums too, and it could cause some uncomfortable friction at your club


i can usually tolerate small talk....but when im doing certain maneuvers i zone out and focus on plane and ignoer..then ask him later on what he was talking to me about

Kaos Rulz

Yeh our club has at least three ratchet jaws too. One who thinks he knows it all, one who doesn't know it all, but talks like it, and one who doesn't have a clue, but talks endlessly anyway. When I'm approached, while flying, by any of the three "Oh my God here comes JAWS," I sternly say, "Hold that thought and we can discuss after I'm through flying and I'm back in the pits." With any luck they'll find someone else's ears to chew off. Hence, I stay in the air as long as possible.

pdm52956

My Feedback: (1)

I should probably just stay out of this but.............ever wonder what the "other" guy was thinking about you? Now I don't mean hulio specifically, could be anybody. I was just thinking about what might have been going through the other guys mind. Maybe he would rather have had someone else to talk to, but settled for the only other person that was there?

Now I don't think that should take away from the fact that the guy should have kept his yap closed while you were flying. That could easily be a crash in the making, but there isn't anything wrong with letting the guy (or whomever) know that you'll be happy to chat after the flight. Pretty sure most have already been there done that at some time or another.

smithcreek

My Feedback: (25)

Let's just forget about the part when you were flying and he was talking, let's concentrate on the part where you were both just hanging out before flying. You call him a name, "ratchet-jaw", call his attempt to have a conversation with you "BS", and decide to fly to "shut him up." I gotta say, you come off as a real intolerant jerk so far, it's not surprising you don't have the social skills to politely ask him to wait until you are done flying to talk.

drube

LOL I don't think he's an intolerantjerk but instead wanted some peace and quiet to relax before he flew.

pdm52956

My Feedback: (1)

LOL......not sure I agree with "intolerant jerk" either but if peace and quiet was the goal, I'm not sure I'd travel to my flying field either! That usually isn't the place to find that sort of thing. Like going to a bar to drink alone!

drube

LOLGood point, I normally have the field to myself. At times there may be a couple guys there but we talk mostley when we want to get out of the sun sit down and have a drink.

smithcreek

My Feedback: (25)

It was his description of the situation that makes him sound intolerant. Again, if he possessed the necessary social skills (which his intolerant posts suggest he does not) he could have politely asked for a few minutes of peace and quiet. Maybe something like, "If you don't mind, I get very anxious when I fly, I'm going take a little walk to get my nerves together, I'll talk to you after I fly." Believe me, I'm not the most tolerant person myself, but he came off sounding worse than the guy he was complaining about in his post.

hairy46

My Feedback: (1)

I have folks talk to me while flying, and I reckon after raising 6 kids and being able to tune out till fists were thrown that I am able to tune them out! I have never been bothered by someone at the field talking, Honestly I do not really hear them when my focus is in the air! But if there is someone bothering you, I think being honest with them and letting them know would be best!

Lnewqban

Yours is a remarkable and very practical skill.[sm=thumbs_up.gif]